Beauty of Joseon: Hanbang, and Whether It Is Just Marketing

Beauty of Joseon works from hanbang — the Korean herbal medicine tradition — and the ingredient lists read accordingly: ginseng, rice water, propolis, mugwort.

That framing could easily be marketing dressed as heritage. The fair test is whether the formulas work on their own terms, and mostly they do.

The lines, and who each suits

Rice. Gentle brightening. Rice water has been used on skin in Korea and Japan for centuries, and in modern formulas it delivers a mild, cumulative evening of tone without the sting of an acid. The rice toner is the entry point most people take.

Propolis. Bee-derived, mildly antibacterial, and unusually good on skin that is both congested and dry — a combination most ranges handle badly.

Ginseng. The richest of the three. Warming, more occlusive, and best suited to dry or mature skin. If you are oily, start elsewhere.

The sunscreen

Worth its own mention: it is among the more wearable SPFs on the market, which matters more than any other quality a sunscreen has. The one you will actually reapply is the one that protects you.

How to wear it properly.

Where to start

The sunscreen for the easiest win. The rice toner if tone is what you are after — see Brightening & Dark Spots.

Browse Beauty of Joseon.